Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin Rocket Completes Third Launch-and-Land

Jeff Bezos' space transportation company Blue Origin successfully has launched and landed for the third time a suborbital rocket capable of carrying six passengers, taking another step on its path in developing reusable boosters, the company said.

The New Shepard rocket and capsule blasted off from a launch site in West Texas on Saturday at an undisclosed time, and landed minutes later back at a landing pad, the company said.

The capsule, which was flying autonomously, parachuted to a nearby site and was recovered, the company said.

Saturday's flight marks the third successful launch-and-land for the rocket, with similar missions completed in January and November.

Bezos, the founder of Amazon.com, said earlier this month that Blue Origin expects to begin crewed test flights of the New Shepard next year and begin flying paying passengers as early as 2018.